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Call key data
Open topic for improved preparedness for, response to and recovery from large-scale disruptions of critical infrastructures
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Cluster 3 - Civil security for society
Call number
HORIZON-CL3-2025-01-INFRA-01
deadlines
Opening
12.06.2025
Deadline
12.11.2025 17:00
Funding rate
70%
Call budget
€ 15,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 5,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
Under this open topic, proposals are invited to address new challenges, and/or develop innovative solutions to existing challenges in order to increase the resilience of critical infrastructure.
Call objectives
Proposals should primarily address sector(s) and/or interdependencies that are not covered, in particular by the past Horizon Europe calls: Resilient Infrastructure 2023 and Resilient Infrastructure 2024. If they relate to some of the topics covered by Horizon Europe Calls Resilient Infrastructure 2021-2022, the proposals should convincingly explain how they will build on their outcomes and not duplicate them.
Adapted to the nature, scope and type of proposed activities, proposals should convincingly explain how they will plan and/or carry out demonstrations, testing or validation of developed tools and solutions. Proposals should also outline the plans to develop possible future uptake and upscaling at regional, national and/or EU level.
To ensure the active involvement of and timely feedback from relevant security practitioners, proposals should plan a mid-term deliverable consisting in the assessment, performed by the practitioners involved in the project, of the project’s mid-term outcomes.
In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.
Proposals should plan their activities opting for the financial support to third parties in order to provide financial support to practitioners (critical infrastructure operator, government authority responsible for infrastructure resilience, national authority responsible for overseeing critical infrastructure operators, or civil protection authority) for expanding the proposed work in terms of additional user groups, complementary assessments, technology- or methodology-testing activities and/or to SMEs as additional solution providers. From 10% up to 30% of the EU funding requested by the proposal may be allocated to the purpose of financial support to third parties.
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Expected effects and impacts
Proposals must clearly describe the objectives and the expected results to be obtained, including the elements listed in the application template. Proposals are also expected to describe the methods and processes relevant to comply with the general eligibility conditions for financial support to third parties set out in General Annex B and to demonstrate effectiveness (impact).
Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic should be envisaged in order to avoid duplication, exploit complementarities, and use opportunities for increased impact. Similarly, coordination with projects funded under HORIZON-CL3-2025-INFRA-01-02: Open topic for role of the human factor for resilience of European critical entities.
Expected results
Projects’ results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following outcomes:
- Critical infrastructure is more resilient to natural hazards, intentional and accidental harmful human actions, including cyberattacks;
- Critical infrastructure operators and authorities have better mapping of the interdependencies relevant for the addressed sector(s) also in view of better managing potential multi-hazard, cross-sectorial and cross border crisis;
- Critical infrastructure operators and authorities have access to improved monitoring, risk and threat assessment, forecast, and if applicable modelling tools as well as cyber- and physical security solutions;
- Critical infrastructure operators and authorities have access to increased post-incident investigation capabilities contributing to better crisis prevention, preparedness, management and response;
- Effective digital tools to conduct virtual and physical stress tests are available for relevant security practitioners;
- Training curricula for critical infrastructure operators, authorities and/or first responders are developed.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Canada, Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Switzerland (Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- Legal entities created under EU law (EU bodies) including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’ actions or when provided for in the specific call/topic conditions. Other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding, unless provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
- Joint Research Centre (JRC)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
- EU restrictive measures — Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) as well as Article 75 TFEU, are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
- Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine — Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons.
With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014) concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, legal entities established outside Russia but whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by a legal person, entity or body established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity. - Measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary — Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022, no legal commitments can be entered into with Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals and can participate without receiving EU funding, as associated partners, if allowed by the call conditions. However, as long as the Council measures are not lifted, such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc.).In case of multi-beneficiary grant calls, applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity in any funded role and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.
other eligibility criteria
Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
This topic requires involvement as beneficiaries of at least 3 relevant practitioners from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Depending on the specific proposal submitted, these practitioners should represent one or several of the following portfolios:
- critical infrastructure operator,
- authority responsible for critical infrastructure resilience,
- civil protection authority,
- law enforcement or private companies delivering security for critical infrastructure.
The scale of operation of the above practitioners (national, regional or local) should match the proposal objectives.
For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Information about security practitioners” in the application form with all requested information.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the electronic submission system (not the templates available on the topic page, which are only for information). The structure and presentation must correspond to the instructions given in the forms.
Applications must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project.
Beneficiaries must provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 200 000 to support the expected outcomes of the topic and engagement with SMEs and/or effective collaboration and/or coordination with additional relevant critical infrastructure operator, government authority responsible for critical infrastructure resilience, national authority responsible for overseeing critical infrastructure Horizon Europe - Work Programme 2025 Civil Security for Society operators, or civil protection authority from EU Member States or Associated Countries. These additional partners involvement must include testing and validation activities in the operational environment.
Some activities resulting from this topic may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN). Please refer to the related provisions in section B Security — EU classified and sensitive information of the General Annexes.
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 3 - Civil Security for SocietyHorizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 3 - Civil Security for Society(974kB)
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